For me and several buddies 2013 started and ended just like 2014 began today around 7:30AM with cloudy skies, a chill in the air, a rising tide, short ride on the Tailfisher, and plenty of these on 4wt flyrods.

2013 started with a retired IBMer who had never fly fished catching specs onboard with me and another buddy that has probably caught more sailfish on the fly than he has specks and it ended with a great friend from New Bern and me staying bent and bowed up from the time we dropped the hook til we stowed the rods under the gunnels and fired up a F60 Yamaha!

In between two great fishing years, I've seen some great days with old friends and new, world class flyfishermen/women and rank beginners work some magic with 3 ounces of graphite and cork, caught huge fish and ones that must have been playing hooky from kindergarten, been in 105 heat index days and ones that could be classified as colder than blue blazes while hooked up.

2013 brought sweet surprises, some news that wasn't easy to take, fathers/mothers and sons/daughters spending time behind shrimpers with sharks going National Geographic, big drum making plenty of folks smile on the East Side, waving tails, plenty of spots-n-dots that were willing beyond belief, some world class albie fishing, some more world class albie fishing, what hopefully is the start of better gray trout fishing,a few future fly fishing folks enter this this life and regrettably some damn good ones make their last casts, but all this considered, and Lord knows we had little control over much of what made us cuss, laugh, cry, and smile, I can only hope that 2014 will be as good or better than 2013!

May 14 bring all y'all tight lines, perfect tides, the always rare light & variable, great numbers, quality fish, better management, more time with family & friends, the love of a good dog, and the knowledge that everyday is a blessing and a gift. Smiley